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| Recipe Archive > Cakes & Biscuits > |
Little Semolina Cakes with Lemon Scented Syrup & Pistachios
This recipe uses semolina and ground almonds which gives a tender crumb to these little diamond shaped cakes which are literally saturated in a syrup made with Whitworths granulated sugar. You can add a little rosewater, or orange flower water to the syrup for a gentle scented flavour (red and pink rose petals and orange blossom are sold in Middle Eastern markets and used for distilling into scented waters for cooking). Personally I think that these cakes are just as nice with a simple lemon syrup fed slowly to the cake while it is still warm in the tin. To keep the cakes very moist and syrupy cut them directly from the tin as required. They are especially good to eat with a glass of Mint Tea.
See Tip below
Equipment & Ingredients
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One shallow baking tin, measuring 8in x 12in / 20cm x 30cm. Lightly greased and lined at the base with Bakewell Parchment. |
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85g / 3oz butter, slowly melted |
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115g / 4oz Whitworths caster sugar |
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2 small eggs, lightly beaten |
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250g / 9oz fine semolina |
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85g / 3oz ground almonds |
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½ tsp bicarbonate of soda |
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115g / 4oz pistachio nuts, skinned and chopped finely |
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450g / 1lb Whitworths granulated sugar |
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Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C / gas mark 4.
Cream the butter with the sugar then beat in the eggs until the mixture looks creamy. Stir in the water. Mix the semolina, ground almonds, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and sift it into the batter. Mix lightly and pour into the prepared tin. Carefully smooth over the surface of the batter with a spatula knife, then sprinkle the crushed pistachio nuts over the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cake looks a pale golden colour and feels firm to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven, but leave it in the tin.
Meanwhile make the syrup. Add all the ingredients to a medium sized saucepan and dissolve the sugar slowly over a moderate heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave on a moderate rolling boil for 10 minutes. While the cake is still warm from the oven add spoonfuls of the warm syrup slowly to the cake until the last drop is used (yes, you need to use all of the syrup). When the cake has cooled cut it into small diamond or square shapes. See intro.
Enjoy with a fresh cup of coffee, or a soothing glass of Mint Tea. See Tip below
Tip
To skin the pistachios, blanch the nuts in boiling water for a few seconds. Drain and peel away the skins while the nuts are still warm.
Tip
Arab Mint Tea is made by adding 3 - 4 rounded tsps of gunpowder tea, 15fl oz / ¾ pt hot water, 1 tbls dried mint leaves and 1 tbls Whitworths caster sugar to a small saucepan. Boil the contents for 3 minutes. Leave to brew for 2 minutes, then pour into small tea glasses and add a fresh mint leaf to each glass before serving.
A teaspoon of pine nuts may also be added to each glass for extra flavour.
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